Defeatist or Realist ?
the jury is out on that one, and why ? in the last 6 years, because that is all I have personal experience of ( although I do know the history involving Mr Duffy etc don't worry) what have we achieved in RYR ?
We have REPA, which has been useful as a vehicle of communication.
We have seen some fairly high profile court cases won for individuals, but lost in the case of the one that mattered to all of us i.e. the labour court.
A colleague who has been here 10 years tells me his real take-home income has decreased by 40% in that time.
Most other companies have copied all or some of our methods for "rewarding" their workforce, making it all seem quite "normal" to a wider audience.
Union membership is where exactly in comparison to 6 or 10 years ago ?
A far higher %ge of our pilot work-force than ever, are brand new, uneducated in aviation ,familiar only with the ways of RYR , and frankly don't want to do anything to upset the apple cart, in part because of their financial position, many with enormous debt.
Ask yourself again, I don't need to because I am pretty convinced,
Defeatist or Realist ?
I didn't, like rubik101 said too, say I liked the situation, I just don't think YOU want to see it as it is, instead of as you would wish it to be.
And until you see it, and the limitations it forces on any action you think will happen ,you just come across as a loose cannon blinkered to the fact that the enemy is not just RYR but also the situation that has been allowed to develop unchecked this past 10 years. They are greedy ruthless people, but finally who let them walk all over us unchecked, do you think the self same people are suddenly going to see the light and rise up to defend themselves. It is nice to have a dream, but for your own mental well being and blood pressure keep things in perspective, it ain't going to be anytime soon that the mouse roars. . . regretably. I very much doubt that any legislation that is going to be enacted won't place the onus on the workers organising and fighting their corner. I admire your determination to achieve that, but I can't help feeling that too many of the other 1800 (?) are going to let you down for it to be realised, sorry but that is how it looks if you open your eyes to your colleagues current and past commitment to the cause.